As megapixel counts grow and pixel dimensions shrink in the field of digital imaging, longer image integration times may be required for a given brightness of scene lighting. However, if an exposure is too long, camera motion may result in a blurred image.
A camera or other image capture device may meter available light and may increase its lens aperture diameter to permit more of the available light to impinge on the image sensor. However, in low light conditions the camera may reach the wide extreme of the available aperture adjustment range. In this case, setting an exposure time sufficient to capture enough light may result in a blurred image. Conversely, setting an exposure time sufficiently short to avoid blur may result in a dark image. Increasing image sensor amplification to lighten the image may introduce an unacceptable level of pixel noise.
Thus, a need exists to decrease blur during long exposures.